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Teaching your Kids to Recycle
By Toronto4Kids
With Earth Day just around the corner, it's an important reminder that we need to do all we can to preserve and protect our mama earth! Teaching your kids to recycle is vital as their future depends on it! So, why not get them involved and make recycling a fun family project?
The Basics
Teach your kids the basics. Show them how to separate the platics from the paper, the cardboard, the metals, etc. Adults should continue to handle breakable materials, glass and bottles.
Label the bins so the kids know what goes where. For younger children, you can put pictures on the bins, as an easy reminder of where to place the items. Sorting is a great prep for math skills!
Older kids can help out too by taking the recycling bins out to the curb.
Teach your kids what goes into the Green Compost Bin and encourage them to turn in their food scraps, kleenex, fast food packaging, plants and other accepted items by your city program.
Put your kids in charge of your home recycling program and have them monitor everyone's activities to ensure that everyone is recycling faithfully. Don't forget to set a good example!
Recycled Art
Art from trash? Gather objects from around the house that are destined for the trash can and turn them into art! Make a birdhouse out of a milk carton, a drum out of a coffee can, a chime out of cutlery and more! Here's a great website that will give you plenty of inspiration: www.kinderart.com/recycle.
Donate or Re-use
There are many more things that kids can learn to recycle. Have kids periodically go through their toys and purge what they no longer play with. Toys can be donated to a local shelter or re-sold at second hand stores. The same goes for clothes they have outgrown. Teach kids that donating used clothing or toys is a great way to recycle!
Use Tupperware or plastic containers for lunch boxes, which can be washed and re-used. Eliminate the need for plastic wrapping and bags as much as possible.
Once your recycling routine is under way, you'll save time, you'll have fun and you'll help save the earth too! Educating kids on how to preserve the environment is probably one of the most important lessons you can teach them!
© Toronto4Kids - April 2008. This article was accurate at the time of its publication, and information is subject to change without notice. This article may not be reproduced in part or in its entirety without the expressed written permission from Toronto4Kids.
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